Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Jeremiah 32:17
Ah Lord GOD! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, [and] there is nothing too hard for thee:
17. thy stretched out arm ] Here, as in Jer 27:5, referring to creation. Elsewhere the expression has to do with Jehovah’s acts of deliverance (e.g. Jer 32:21; Exo 6:6; Deu 4:34). Cp. the similar phrase used of punishment in Jer 21:5.
hard ] lit. as mg. wonderful. Cp. Gen 18:14.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
(27). Too hard – literally, too wonderful.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Jer 32:17
Thou hast made the heaven and the earth.
Creation-an argument for faith
I would to God we had in the religion of these modern times a more potent infusion of this heroic faith in God. When Edward Irving preached that memorable sermon concerning the missionary, who he thought was bound to go forth without purse or scrip, and trusting in his God alone, to preach the Word, a howl went up to heaven against the man as a fanatic. They said he was visionary, unpractical, mad, and all because he dared to preach a sermon full of faith in God. If once again we could, like the world, be hanged upon nothing but the simple power and providence of God, I am sure we should find it a blessed and a safe way of living, glorious to God, and honourable to ourselves.
I. To stimulate the evangelist. And who is the evangelist? Every man and woman who has tasted that the Lord is gracious. Here is your encouragement: the work is Gods, and your success is in the hand of Him who made the heaven and the earth.
1. Remember that the world was created from nothing. He spake and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast. The case of the sinner is a parallel one. You say there is nothing in the sinner. Ay, then, there is room here for a re-creating work; for the Eternal God to come, and with His outstretched arm to create a new heart and a right spirit, and put His grace where there was none before.
2. But you have none to help you or go forth in your work with you. When God made the world–and the same God is with thee–He worked alone.
3. But you reply, My sorrow lieth not so much in that I am alone, as in the melancholy fact that I am very conscious of my own weakness, and of my want of adaptation for my peculiar work. I am not sufficient for these things; but rather I feel like Jonah, that I would flee into Tarshish, that I might escape from the burden of the Lord against this Nineveh. Ay, but cast thy thoughts back again upon creation. The Eternal needed no instruments in creation. He sayeth not by mans strength, nor by human learning, and eloquence, and talent. It is His strength, and not the strength or weakness of the instruments to which we must look.
4. Dost thou still complain, and say–Alas! it is little I can say! When I speak, I can but utter a few plain words–true and earnest, but not mighty. I have no power to plead with souls with the tears and the seraphic zeal of a Whitfield. I can only tell the tale of mercy simply, and leave it there. Well, and did not God create all things by His naked word? At this day, is not the Gospel in itself the rod of Jehovahs strength? Is it not the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth?
5. Another pleads, You are not aware of the darkness of the district in which I labour. I toil among a benighted, unintelligent, ignorant people. I cannot expect to see fruit there, toil as I may. Ah! brother, and while you talk so you never will see any fruit, for God giveth not great things to unbelieving men. But for the encouragement of thy faith, let me remind thee that it is the God that made the heavens and the earth on whom thou hast to lean.
6. Ay, saith one, but the men among whom I labour are so confused in their notions, they put darkness for light and light for darkness; their moral sense is blunted; if I try to teach them, their ears are dull of hearing and their hearts are given to slumber. Besides, they are full of vain janglings and oppose themselves to the truth; I endure much contradiction of sinners, and they will not receive the truth in the love of it. Did not the Holy Spirit brood with shadowing wings over the earth when it was chaos? Did He not bring out order from confusion?
7. Ah, say you, they are all so dead, so dead! Ay, and remember how the waters brought forth life abundantly; and how the earth brought forth the creeping thing, and the cattle after its kind; and how, at last, man was made out of the very dust of the earth.
8. See how fair and glorious this earth is now! Well might the morning stars sing together, and the sons of God shout for joy! And dost thou think that God cannot make as fair a heart in man, and make it bud and blossom, and teem with hallowed life?
II. To encourage the inquirer. Many really desirous to be saved are full of doubts, and difficulties, and questionings.
1. Your mind is so dark. I cannot see Christ, says one; I feel benighted; it is all darkness, thick as night with me. Yes, but then there is the question, Can God roll this night away? And the answer comes, He who said, Let there be light, and there was light, can certainly repeat the miracle.
2. Another of your doubts will arise from the fact that you feel so weak. You cannot do what you would. You would leave sin, but still fall into it; would lay hold on Christ, but cannot. Then comes the question, Can God do it? And we answer, He who made the heavens and the earth without a helper, can certainly Bare thee when thou canst not help thyself.
3. Ay, sayest thou again, but I am in such an awful state of mind; there is such a confusion within me; I cannot tell what is the matter with me; I know not what I am; I cannot understand myself. Was not the world just so of old, and did not all the beauty of all lands rise out of this dire confusion?
4. There is more hope in thy case than there was in the creation of the world, for in the creation there was nothing done beforehand. The plan was drawn, no doubt, but no material was provided; no stores laid in to effect the purpose. But in thy case the work is done already, beforehand. On the bloody tree Christ has carried sin; in the grave He has vanquished death; in resurrection He has rent for ever the bends of the grave; in ascension He has opened heaven to all believers; and in His intercession He is pleading still for them that trust Him.
5. Yet again, God has done something more in thee than there was done before He made the world. Emptiness did not cry, O God! create me. Darkness could not pray, O Lord give me light. Confusion could not cry, O God! ordain me into order. But see what He has done for you. He has taught you to cry, Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.
6. It was in Gods power to make the world or not, just as He pleased. No promise bound Him; no covenant made it imperative upon Him that His arm should be outstretched. Sinner, the Lord is not bound to save thee except from His own promise, and that promise is, He that calleth upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. He cannot withhold saving thee if thou callest upon Him.
7. It is certain that there is more room in your case for God to glorify Himself than there was in the making of the world. In making the world He glorified His wisdom and He magnified His power, but He could not show His mercy.
III. To comfort believers. You are greatly troubled, are you? It is a common lot with us all And you have nothing on earth to trust to now, and are going to be cast on your God alone? Happy trouble that drives thee to thy Father! Blessed storm that wrecks thee on the Rock of Ages! Glorious billow that washes thee upon this heavenly shore! And now thou hast nothing but thy God to trust to, what art thou going to do? To fret? Oh, do not thus dishonour thy Lord! Show the world that thy God is worth ton thousand worlds to thee. (C. H. Spurgeon.)
The power of God
I. Look at the power of God in what He has made. A little child can take a grain of wheat, and drop it into the earth; by the aid of the earth, the air, the sun, the rain, and the dew, it grows and fills the carol wheat. By a lithe grinding at the mill, the coarse and fine parts are separated, and you have flour. By a little adding of water, and by baking, you have bread. You eat the bread, and it becomes flesh, and blood, and bone. But suppose you had to do all this. Could you make the grain of wheat? Could you make it grow when made? Could you make it turn into blood, and bone, and flesh? What power of God is seen in every grain of wheat! You can bring two drops of water together, and you might, by great digging, and much hard work, turn the channel of the small brook, and make the brook run in a different place; but could you make a basin of waters, ton thousand miles across its top, and so deep, that no man can measure it even with the longest rope? Could you make such basins again and again, till all the oceans on the earth were made? Could you dig great channels, some of them many miles wide, and fill them all with waters, and thus make all those great rivers which pour their waters on towards the great ocean, and which will thus run as long as the world lasts? No, you cannot. No man can. But God can do all this! Men can shoot a bird on the wing; they can subdue the horse and the elephant; they can spear the fish, and crush the insect with the foot. But who has power to make the smallest insect that creeps or flies, or the most tiny fish that swims? God can do all this. Suppose you could see a chain held in the hand of God, which holds every weed and flower, every insect and creature that lives, every mind that thinks, whether in this or in any other world, would you not feel that the hand of God was strong, to hold all up, every moment, from the morning of creation to the end of all things? He fainteth not, neither is He weary. There is nothing too hard for the Lord. Men are born and die; trees grow up and fall away; nations grow and perish; but all the works of God continue as they were from the beginning, because from age to age God remains the same, almighty in power, unaltered, undiminished, untired, unceasing! What a being God is!
II. Look at the power of god as he governs the world. God made the body, and the spirit in the body, and knows just how to reach and guide the spirit. Herod and Pilate may lay their plans just as will please themselves; and the wicked in hell may curse and swear day and night for ever, if they wish; but God knows how to make all this wickedness turn, so as to bring honour to His own name.
1. He can make great joy to come from great sorrows.
2. The power of God can keep His people when in danger.
3. The power of God is seen in turning the plans of Satan, the greatest sinner, against himself.
III. Having proved that god has almighty power i infer some things.
1. I infer that He can aid us to carry the, Bible to all people.
2. That the power of God gives us faith in His government.
3. That the power of God is terrible to wicked people. What an eye God has! No darkness can hide from it: no cave shut it out!
4. That the power of God should make His people feel happy. (John Todd, D. D.)
The Creators regard and provision for man
I see a mother that, as the twilight falls and the baby sleeps, and because it sleeps out of her arms, goes about gathering from the floor its playthings, and carries them to the closet, and carries away the vestments that have been cast down, and stirring the fire, sweeping up the hearth, winding the clock, and gathering up dispersed books, she hums to herself low melodies as she moves about the room, until the whole place is once again neat and clean, and in order. Why is it that the room is so precious to her? Is it because there is such beautiful paper on the walls? because there is so goodly a carpet on the floor? because the furniture in the room is so pleasing to the eye? All these are nothing in her estimation except as servants of that little creature of hers–the baby in the cradle. She says, All these things serve my heart while I rock my child. The whole round globe is but a cradle, and our God rocks it, and regards all things, even the world itself, as so many instruments for the promotion of our welfare. When He makes the tempest, the pestilence, or the storm, when He causes ages in their revolutions to change the world, it is all to serve His own heart through His children–men when we are walking through this world, we are not walking through long files of laws that have no design; we are walking through a world that has natural laws, which we must both know and observe; yet these must have their master, and Christ is He. And all of these are made to be our servants because we are Gods children. (Christian Age.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
He beginneth his prayer with a recognition of Gods omnipotency, and the infiniteness of his power, which was showed in his first making the heaven and the earth, as we read, Gen 1:1; Psa 146:6. God himself used this instance to confirm his peoples faith in his ability to do what he pleased, Jer 27:5. It is observable, that the servants of God in holy writ used in their prayers to give God such names as might help to confirm their faith as to what they asked. Nothing can further be necessary to confirm our faith that we shall have what we ask, than for us to be persuaded that the person is able to do it, and also willing. The prophet beginneth with a declaration of his faith in God as to the first, then goes on to the second.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
17. hast made . . . heavenJeremiahextols God’s creative power, as a ground of humility on his part asman: It is not my part to call Thee, the mighty God, to account forThy ways (compare Jer 12:1).
too hardIn Jer32:27 God’s reply exactly accords with Jeremiah’s prayer (Gen 18:14;Zec 8:6; Luk 1:37).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Ah Lord God!…. Which the Vulgate Latin version repeats three times, “Ah, ah, ah”, as being greatly distressed with the trouble that was coming upon his people; and, it may be, not without some doubts and temptations about their deliverance; or, at least, was pressed in his mind with the difficulties and objections started by the Jews that were with him in the court:
behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm; with great propriety is the making of the heaven and the earth ascribed to the mighty power of God; for nothing short of almighty power could have produced such a stupendous work as the heavens, with all the host of them, sun, moon, and stars, the terraqueous globe, the earth and sea, with all that in them are; and all this produced out of nothing, by the sole command and word of God: and with great pertinency does the prophet begin his prayer with such a description of God; both to encourage and strengthen his faith in him touching the fulfilment of the above prophecy, and to stop the mouths of the Jews, who objected the impossibility of it: wherefore it follows,
[and] there is nothing too hard for thee; or “hidden from thee” z; so the Targum; which his wisdom and knowledge did not reach, or his power could not effect: or which is “too wonderful for thee” a; there is nothing that has so much of the wonderful in it, as to be above the compass of his understanding, and out of the reach of his power, as such things be, which are beyond the power and skill of men; but there is no such thing with God, whose understanding is unsearchable, and his power irresistible; with him nothing is impossible; and who can think there is that observes that the heaven and earth are made by him?
z “non est absconditum a te quicquam”, Pagninus; “non potest occultari tibi ulla res”, Junius Tremellius. a “Non mirabile est prae te ullun verbum”, Schmidt “non est ulla res abscondita a te, sive mirabile”, Calvin; “non mirificabitur a te ullum verbum”, Montanus.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Ah, Lord Jehovah! he says; behold, thou hast made heaven and earth. Were any one not to attend to the circumstances of the passage, he might think that the Prophet is here rambling, and does not connect his sentences, so that his prayer seems incoherent. But as I have already said, that as the Prophet knew that men take too much liberty when they speak of God’s works, he bridled himself in due time, before he came to his subject. He then made this sort of introduction, “O Lord, it does not behove me to contend with thee, nor is it right in me to require thee to give me a reason for thy doings, for thou hast made heaven and earth by thy great power and extended arm.” There is here then an implied contrast between God and mortal man; “For who am I to dare to summon thee to a contest! for thy power is justly to be dreaded by us; when we raise up our eyes to heaven, when we look on the earth, there is nothing which ought not to fill us with admiration of thy power, for its immensity appears above and below.” We hence see that the Prophet extols in high terms the power of God, in order that he might keep himself in a meek and humble state of mind, and not dare to clamor against God, nor presumptuously rush forward to pronounce a judgment on his works. Behold, he says; he sets before his eyes the wonderful workmanship of the world, in which the immeasurable power of God shines forth most conspicuously.
He then adds, Nor is there any thing hid from thee This clause admits of two meanings; for פלא, pala, means wonderful, and also hidden. Now the greater part of interpreters give this explanation, — that nothing is hid from God, because all things are before his eyes, for his knowledge penetrates to the deepest depths. It may then be a commendation of God’s knowledge, as an eulogy on his power has previously been given; and this meaning is not unsuitable.
I do not, however, reject the other meaning, given by Jerome, that there is nothing difficult to God, or wonderful, because all things are subject to his will. Thus the Prophet might say, continuing the same thought, that the power of God, which shines forth to our view in the heavens and in the earth, may at the same time be observed in the permanent government of the world; for he who has created the heavens and the earth can do all things, so that nothing is wonderful to him, that is, nothing is difficult for his power as soon as he has decreed this or that. The main object of the Prophet is, however, still the same. (64)
(64) The Targ. and the versions, except the Vulg., give the first sense; but the latter is no doubt the true meaning, as the word never means properly to be hidden. The phrase here literally is, “Not harder (or more marvellous) than thou shall anything be,” that is, not harder than what thou canst do. Exactly the same phrase occurs in Gen 18:14. The word, in a similar clause, in Deu 30:11, is rendered “hidden;” but the clause literally is, “It is not harder than thou,” that is, than what thou canst attain, or do, as the context proves, see Jer 32:14. — Ed.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(17) There is nothing too hard for thee.The thought of the omnipotence of God was here, as always, the ground of prayer. The occurrence of the self-same phrase in Gen. 18:14 shows that it had been, even from patriarchal times, one of the axioms of the faith of Israel. We note its repetition in Jer. 32:27.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
17. Too hard Literally, too wonderful.
Jeremiah Questions YHWH As To Why He Has Commanded Him To Do This Strange Thing Of Buying Land If The Land Was In Fact Simply Going To Be Taken Over By The Chaldeans. He May Well Have Wondered Whether This Did This Then Mean That YHWH Intended To Intervene At the Last Moment And Save His People ( Jer 32:17-25 ).
Having handed over the deeds of purchase of the land to Baruch, Jeremiah comes to YHWH in prayer, and in the prayer he sums up how he sees the present situation, setting out the pros and cons. On the one hand he sets out his arguments as to why he knows that YHWH could deliver if He so wished, and on the other he acknowledges that YHWH’s thoughts are based on a greater wisdom than his own, that the people are unworthy, and that it does not at present look as though He is going to deliver. He may have intended it to be a challenge to the mighty YHWH to once again act to save His people miraculously, in view of the fact that He has made him, Jeremiah, purchase a piece of occupied land, or to be a query as to why He has called on him to buy such land if He knows that He is not going to deliver His people. Or it may indeed be seen as a combined challenge with both options in mind.
The background to the prayer is that the enemy are at the very gates of Jerusalem and have dug in, building mounds and awaiting Jerusalem’s final submission, seemingly with no intended intervention by YHWH at hand. But as Jeremiah watches this from the city walls he is also conscious of the power of YHWH and of what history has revealed about both His ability and His willingness to save, (He is after all a God Who shows covenant love to thousands), and it would appear that he was thus wondering what YHWH’s final intentions might be at this final stage. (He may well have had in mind the last minute, remarkable deliverance of Jerusalem in the time of Isaiah).
So in his prayer to YHWH in the light of this, he deliberately draws attention to the positive, to His great and creative power, and His ability to do whatever He wants. Nothing, he points out, is too hard for Him. He is indeed the Mighty God of Battle, so he has no doubt that He could deliver if He wished to do so. And he also, possibly hopefully, draws attention to His covenant compassion, although he then immediately contrasts it with His judgment on sinners. He is clearly not wanting to presume.
On the other hand he recognises that He is the One Who is all-wise and sees all men’s actions, and deals with them accordingly. That may count against Judah. On the other hand it could count against their enemies, and he recalls in this regard how God had similarly delivered Israel from Egypt when they were in an impossible situation, because He was aware of the sinfulness of the Egyptians. And had He not done similar things at other times since, even when His people were failing Him? Indeed he underlines how often YHWH has miraculously delivered His people in the past.
On the other hand he also acknowledges that, in spite of YHWH’s past goodness revealed in the giving to His people of a land flowing with milk and honey, YHWH’s people had once again failed Him and had not obeyed His voice or walked in His Law. Indeed they had done nothing of all that He had commanded them. He therefore acknowledges that that is why they are now in this perilous situation, and why siege mounts are visible outside the walls, and why the conditions within the walls of sword, famine and pestilence appear to be ensuring a final enemy victory. That might appear to settle the matter. But then he draws on what he sees as one last glimmer of hope. YHWH has caused him to buy land in Judah almost as though nothing was going on. Does that then mean that YHWH intends to deliver Jerusalem? He may well have been asking, ‘You have acted so in the past, are you now about to do so again, in view of the fact that you have made me buy this land?’ The impression being given by the prayer is that Jeremiah is not quite sure what YHWH intends to do with the result that he has gone over all the facts which could influence such a decision in his prayer. On the one hand he knows that He could deliver them if He so wished, because He is mighty and powerful, and compassionate, and wise, and experienced as a miraculous Deliverer, but on the other he remembers that YHWH sees all that is going on and that YHWH has declared in the past the certainty of the destruction of Jerusalem. On the other hand this last does not appear to tie in with his having required Jeremiah to purchase a piece of land. The question Jeremiah is considering is in his prayer is, will He save or will He judge? (The prayer considers the arguments both ways). No wonder he is puzzled.
The prayer is typical of expanded Hebrew prayer which summarises the whole situation before coming to a conclusion, and in this case initially exalts YHWH as mighty Creator and miraculous Deliverer, before going on to present arguments in depth based on the people’s sinfulness which might cause Him not this time to act in His divine power. We can compare for this kind of discursive prayer Dan 9:14-19, and elements in Ezr 9:5-15; Isa 37:16-20. Note also Jon 2:2-9 which demonstrates the Hebrew art of introducing into a simple prayer of distress matters of divine moment. This is typical prophetic prayer.
Jer 32:16
‘Now after I had delivered the deed of the purchase to Baruch the son of Neriah, I prayed to YHWH, saying,’
We should note here that Jeremiah obeyed first and then prayed afterwards. Our prayers would often be more successful if we learned this lesson. All too often our prayers are hindered because we are not walking in obedience to what God has called on us to do when we pray. But Jeremiah first did what he was told, and then brought his grievance to YHWH. Indeed it was his obedience that gave him grounds for doing so.
Jer 32:17-18
“Ah Lord YHWH! Behold, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for you, who shows covenant love to thousands, and recompenses the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their children after them. The great, the mighty God, YHWH of hosts is his name.”
Firstly he draws attention to the positive possibilities. He draws attention to the greatness and all-powerful nature of YHWH, and declares that YHWH is the sovereign ‘Lord’, Who has made the heavens and the earth by His own great power and personal activity. In other words that He is the Great Creator Who is over all things and can therefore do anything that He wants, whether in saving or in judging. For the idea of ‘Your great power and your outstretched arm’ compare Deu 9:29 where it referred to His intervention in the deliverance from Egypt. Here it refers to His bringing about the very act of creation by His personal act of power.
Indeed he stresses that it needs to be recognised that there is nothing that is ‘too hard’ (extraordinary, difficult) for Him. These words, which are repeated in Jer 32:27, confirming their authenticity, are drawn from Gen 18:14. The conclusion to be drawn from this is that He could save if He wanted to.
Furthermore he points out that He is also the God of Moses with whom He had made His covenant, for on the one hand, as He had declared to Moses, He shows ‘covenant love’ to thousands (Exo 20:6; Exo 34:7), and on the other He recompenses to men their iniquity in failing to observe that covenant, both in respect of themselves and of their sinning descendants. Not the contrast between YHWH ‘showing covenant love to thousands’ and those who pour their iniquities ‘into the bosom of their children’. This is the inheritance that they leave their children by having taught them sinful ways. Compare for these descriptions the words of Moses in Exo 20:5-6; and especially Jer 34:7. From the point of view of his argument this is neutral, leaving YHWH options either way. On the one hand YHWH could respond in compassion, in accordance with His covenant. On the other He could condemn on the basis of their iniquities.
And on top of this he draws out that He is also the God of battle, for He is ‘the great, the mighty God’ (compare Isa 9:6), Whose Name is ‘YHWH of hosts’. In all this we have an indication of Jeremiah’s sound knowledge of early Scripture, and a view of YHWH which is in deliberate contrast to Judah’s powerlessness at the hands of the besieging Babylonians. He is making clear that if they are not delivered it will be because YHWH chooses not to deliver them, not because He cannot.
Jer 32:19
“Great in counsel, and mighty in work, whose eyes are open on all the ways of the sons of men, to give every one according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings,”
He then points out that YHWH is also both all-wise (great in counsel) and all-powerful in His activity (mighty in work), as well as being all-knowing, with His eyes open to all the ways of mere ‘sons of men’, in order that He might reward each according to their deserts, and according to what they have achieved. Thus YHWH knows what is best and he is confident that He will make the right decision. We can compare with his description here the words of David in Psa 53:2, ‘God looks down from Heaven on the sons of men, to see if there are any who are wise, who seek after God.’ Thus if He chooses not to intervene on Judah’s behalf it will not be because He is unaware of precisely what is going on.
Jer 32:20
“Who set signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, even to this day, both in Israel and among men, and made yourself a name, as at this day,”
Furthermore he points out that He is a God of continuing wonders and miracles. He initially established signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, and has continued to produce such signs and miracles ‘to this day’. In mind here are no doubt the miraculous deliverances in Joshua (e.g. Jer 10:8-14), Judges (e.g. Jer 5:19-21), 1 Samuel (e.g. Jer 7:8-11), 2 Kings (e.g. Jer 13:4-5), and especially miraculous deliverances from sieges such as are found in 2 Kings 7, 19, to say nothing of displays of YHWH’s powers among the nations (‘among men’) in the form of earthquakes, storms and other ‘miraculous’ events (e.g. Jos 10:8-14; Jdg 5:19-21; 1Sa 7:8-11). Indeed thereby He had made a Name for Himself. There was thus plenty of precedent for YHWH’s intervention, had He wished to do so. But now YHWH appeared to be silent.
Jer 32:21
“And brought forth your people Israel out of the land of Egypt with signs, and with wonders, and with a strong hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with great terror,”
With the same strong hand and outstretched arm that He had used in creating, He had also personally delivered His people out of Egypt, by means of signs and wonders, His strong hand and outstretched arm, and great terrors. There could be no doubt therefore of His ability to save should He desire to do so. Babylon was no mightier than ancient Egypt.
Jer 32:22
“And gave them this land, which you swore to their fathers to give them, a land flowing with milk and honey,”
And it was He Who had demonstrated His love for His people by giving them the land that they now possessed (the very land which Jeremiah had bought a portion of), a good and worthwhile land. It had been His gift to them, on the basis of His promises to their forefathers. (In this lay possible hope).
Jer 32:23
“And they came in, and possessed it, but they did not obey your voice, nor did they walk in your law. They have done nothing of all that you commanded them to do. Therefore you have caused all this evil to come on them.”
And the result was that they had come in and possessed it. Victory and territory had been secured with YHWH’s help. But then had arisen the problem. They had not obeyed His voice or walked in His Law. Indeed they had done nothing of what He had commanded them. They had flagrantly disobeyed Him. And by doing so they had forfeited any right to the land. (That appeared to cancel out the possible hope).
Jer 32:24
“Behold, the mounds, they are come to the city to take it, and the city is given into the hand of the Chaldeans who fight against it, because of the sword, and of the famine, and of the pestilence, and what you have spoken is come about, and, behold, you see it.”
Then he calls on YHWH to consider what lies before His very eyes. The siege mounds of the Babylonians have been built up outside the city walls, because they have come there to take the city, and it has already for all practical purposes been given into their hands because the city is almost consumed with the sword, and with famine, and with pestilence as YHWH had previously warned. Death and weakness were therefore everywhere, as YHWH Himself could see. It was in no position to consider resisting.
Jer 32:25
“And you have said to me, O Lord YHWH, Buy you the field for money, and call witnesses, whereas the city is given into the hand of the Chaldeans.”
On the other hand, having considered YHWH’s power to deliver, in contrast with the present situation of the city, he still has cause for perplexity. What, he asks, is YHWH’s intention in view of the fact that He has called on Jeremiah to buy a piece of land in the presence of witnesses (something which appeared to suggest that the land still had a future)? On the one hand he has obeyed YHWH and has bought the land, and on the other YHWH is delivering the city into the hands of the Chaldeans. This did not appear to make sense.
This is a perfect example of praying through a problem, by listing the pros and cons of the situation and considering the alternatives. The pros are that God is all-powerful and all-wise and mighty enough to deliver, and often acts graciously. The cons are that the people are totally undeserving and disobedient to the covenant, and thus subject to its curses. The question then was what YHWH’s reaction was going to be in the light of all the facts.
Note On Jeremiah’s Depictions Of God.
In chapter 10 Jeremiah had depicted God, in stark contrast with idols, as:
Unique, so that there was none like Him, great and with a Name great in might (Jer 10:6).
To be feared as King of the nations, superior to all who have authority over the nations (Jer 10:7).
The true God, the living God, the everlasting King, before Whose wrath the earth trembles, so that the nations cannot stand up against His indignation (Jer 10:10).
The One Who has made Heaven and earth, establishing the earth by His wisdom and stretching out the heavens by His understanding (Jer 10:12).
The One Who brings into being and controls storm, tempest, lightning, rain and wind (Jer 10:13).
The One Who is the Former of all things (Jer 10:16).
Now in this passage he has expanded on that view, and brought it into historical context in the light of His dealings with men. Thus:
He made Heaven and earth by His great power and by His outstretched arm (Jer 32:17 a).
Nothing is too hard for Him (Jer 32:17 b).
He shows covenant love to thousands (Jer 32:18 a).
He recompenses iniquity on the sinful and their descendants (Jer 32:18 b).
He is the great, the mighty God and YHWH of hosts is His Name (Jer 32:18 c).
He is great in counsel, and mighty in His activity (Jer 32:19 a).
His eyes are open to all the ways of the sons of men to give to all what they deserve because of their ways and actions (Jer 32:19 b).
He set signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, and had continued to do so to this day, making Himself a reputation both among His own people and among the nations (Jer 32:20).
He brought His people out of the land of Egypt with signs and wonders, a strong hand and an outstretched arm, and with great terror (Jer 32:21).
He had given to them the land that He had promised to their forefathers, a land flowing with milk and honey (Jer 32:22).
He had brought evil on them, in the form of the Babylonians, because they had not obeyed His voice, nor walked in His Law, nor done anything of what He had commanded (Jer 32:23).
Note how perfectly each list is suited to its context. The one contrasting Him with man-made idols, the other establishing His ability to act in history, with power, wisdom, understanding and discretion, while keeping in mind the deserts of His people in the face of His goodness towards them.
Jer 32:17 Ah Lord GOD! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, [and] there is nothing too hard for thee:
Ver. 17. Ah Lord God! ] This interjection in the beginning of his prayer showeth that his heart was greatly grieved and perplexed. Nevertheless he reineth in his passions, and runneth not out into a brawl instead of a prayer, as Jonah did. Jon 4:1 See Trapp on “ Jon 4:1 “
Thou hast made the heaven and earth by thy great power.
And there is nothing too hard for thee. Lord GOD = Adonai Jehovah.
Thou hast made, &c. Reference to Pentateuch (Gen 1). Compare Jer 27:5.
nothing too hard for Thee. Reference to Pentateuch (Gen 18:14). App-92.
Ah: Jer 1:6, Jer 4:10, Jer 14:13, Eze 9:8, Eze 11:13
thou: Jer 10:11, Jer 10:12, Jer 27:5, Jer 51:15, Jer 51:19, Gen 1:1-31, Exo 20:11, 2Ki 19:15, Neh 9:6, Psa 102:25, Psa 136:5-9, Psa 146:5, Psa 146:6, Isa 40:26-28, Isa 42:5, Isa 44:24, Isa 45:12, Isa 48:12, Isa 48:13, Zec 12:1, Joh 1:1-3, Act 7:49, Act 7:50, Act 14:15, Act 17:24, Col 1:15, Col 1:16, Heb 1:2, Heb 1:3, Heb 1:10-12, Rev 4:11
there: Jer 32:27, Gen 18:14, Job 42:2, Luk 1:37, Luk 18:27, to hard for thee, or, hid from thee, Isa 46:9, Isa 46:10, Dan 2:22, Act 15:18, Eph 3:9-11
Reciprocal: Gen 17:1 – Almighty 1Ki 8:42 – thy strong hand 2Ki 3:18 – And this Psa 89:8 – a strong Psa 104:1 – art very great Psa 111:2 – works Psa 124:8 – General Psa 147:5 – Great Psa 150:2 – according Isa 25:1 – thy counsels Isa 59:1 – the Lord’s Jer 21:5 – with an Dan 6:20 – able Dan 9:4 – the great Zec 8:6 – should Mat 22:29 – nor Mar 10:27 – for Mar 12:24 – neither Act 4:24 – Lord Rom 4:21 – he was able Eph 3:20 – able
Jer 32:17. Nothing too hard for thee means that God can do anything if it is a matter of power or knowledge. There are some things God cannot do because they are wrong, but He has the power and knowledge to do any-thing that is right.
Citing God’s creation of the cosmos as evidence that nothing was too difficult for Him, Jeremiah acknowledged God’s extreme covenant loyalty and the justice of His punishment of Judah. Not even restoring Israel to her land and making the property in Anathoth valuable to the Israelites again was too difficult for Yahweh, Jeremiah believed.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)